1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a liquid crystal display device, and more particularly to an active matrix liquid crystal display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a liquid crystal display device has a liquid crystal display panel which includes a pair of mutually opposed substrates, namely, an array substrate and a counter-substrate, and a liquid crystal layer which is held between the pair of substrates. The liquid crystal display panel includes a display section which is composed of a plurality of display pixels which are arrayed in a matrix. The array substrate includes pixel electrodes which are disposed in association with the plural display pixels, and the counter-substrate includes a counter-electrode which is opposed to the plural pixel electrodes.
In the case of a transflective liquid crystal display device, the liquid crystal layer includes a transmissive display area and a reflective display area. The pixel electrode includes a transmissive electrode part that passes light, which is incident from the array substrate side, to the liquid crystal layer, and that is disposed in the transmissive display area of the liquid crystal layer, and a reflective electrode part that reflects light which is incident from the counter-substrate side to the liquid crystal layer, and that is disposed in the reflective display area of the liquid crystal layer.
An OCB (Optically Compensated Bend) mode liquid crystal display device, compared to a liquid crystal display device of, e.g. a TN mode, has features of a high responsivity and a wide viewing angle. Hence, the OCB mode liquid crystal display device is suited to liquid crystal TV products or the like, the market of which is expected to steadily increase in the years to come.
In the OCB mode liquid crystal display device, when no voltage is applied to the liquid crystal layer, the alignment state of liquid crystal molecules, which are included in the liquid crystal layer, is a splay alignment state that is a non-display state. Thus, when the OCB mode liquid crystal display device is activated, it is necessary to execute initialization to change (“transition”) the alignment state from the alignment state of liquid crystal molecules in the non-display state to the alignment state (“bend alignment”) of liquid crystal molecules in the display state.
Conventionally, there is proposed a liquid crystal display device wherein a transverse electric field is generated between neighboring pixel electrodes, thereby facilitating the transition of liquid crystal molecules from the non-display alignment state to the display alignment state before an image is displayed, and thus quickly displaying an image (see Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-75873).
However, in the transmissive liquid crystal display device the pixel area is substantially planar, whereas in the transflective liquid crystal display device a recess-and-projection portion is provided, in some cases, on the reflective electrode part of the pixel area in the reflective pixel region, and it is necessary to form a proper transition nucleus for the three-dimensional recess-and-projection portion of the pixel electrode.